Rose plant named ‘Te Qiao’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of rose plant named ‘Te Qiao’, a shrub rose characterized by its upright, compact, densely-branched habit, its semi-glossy green foliage, its red-purple, single flowers, its repeat blooming habit even through hot weather and its vigorous growth with minimal seed production.

Botanical classification: Rosa hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Te Qiao’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is co-pending with a U.S. Plant Patent Applicationfiled for a plant derived in the Inventors' breeding program that isentitled Rose Plant Named ‘Te Jiao’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 12/804,238).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Rosahybrida. The new cultivar will be referred to hereafter by its cultivarname, ‘Te Qiao’. ‘Te Qiao’ is a shrub rose suitable for landscapeplantings.

The new cultivar of shrub rose is a selection from a controlled breedingprogram conducted by the Inventors in Beijing, China with a focus oncreating rose cultivars that perform well and bloom continuously in thehot summers in the northern region of China and also exhibit minimalseed production.

The new variety of shrub rose, ‘Te Qiao’, arose from a cross made inBeijing, China in 2005 between the female parent, ‘Dortmund’ (notpatented) and the male parent, ‘BeilinQiao’ (not patented). ‘Te Qiao’was selected by the Inventors as a single unique plant from theresulting seedlings in May, 2006.

The new cultivar was first asexually propagated by the Inventors usingsoftwood stem cuttings in Beijing, China in November, 2006. Asexualpropagation using stem cuttings and tissue culture has determined thatthe characteristics of this cultivar are stable and are reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new rose as observed in Beijing, China. Theseattributes in combination distinguish ‘Te Qiao’ as a unique cultivar ofshrub rose.

-   -   1. ‘Te Qiao’ exhibits single flowers that are bright red-purple        in color.    -   2. ‘Te Qiao’ blooms continuously from April to November, even        through hot summer weather.    -   3. ‘Te Qiao’ produces very few to no seeds.    -   4. ‘Te Qiao’ exhibits semi-glossy green foliage.    -   5. ‘Te Qiao’ exhibits a densely branched, compact, upright shrub        habit.    -   6. ‘Te Qiao’ exhibits vigorous growth with very good disease        resistance.    -   7. ‘Te Qiao’ overwinters under natural conditions in Beijing.

The new cultivar of shrub rose can be readily distinguished from itsparents. The female parent, ‘Dortmund’, has a climbing habit, lacks theability to sustain flower production during hot summer months, andproduces red flowers and abundant clusters of fruit. The male parent,‘BeilinQiao’, has a shorter stature, produces smaller, pink flowers,numerous seeds, and foliage that is lighter green and non-glossy. ‘TeQiao’ can also be most closely compared to a cultivar from the samebreeding program, ‘Te Jiao’, which is similar in its vigor, longblooming habit under hot summer conditions, lack of seed production anddisease resistance. ‘Te Jiao’ differs from ‘Te Qiao’ in havingsemi-double pink flowers and in having a climbing growth habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of three year-old plants of the new shrubrose, ‘Te Qiao’, as grown outdoors in a field on its own roots.

FIG. 1 provides a top view of a plant of ‘Te Qiao’ and illustrates itsflowering habit.

FIG. 2 provides a view of plant parts of ‘Te Qiao’ with labels; 1: uppersurface of flower, 2: lower surface of flower, 3: upper surface of leaf,4: lower surface of leaf, 5 and 6; flower buds, 7; young stem, 8:reproductive organs, 9: sepals and receptacle, 10; upper surface ofpetal. The colors in the photographs are as close as possible withdigital photography techniques available, the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the newshrub rose.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observedon 3 year-old plants as field grown in Beijing, China. Growingconditions had an average temperature of 25.8 to 24.4° C. withtemperatures ranging between 12.3 and 39.6° C. and average precipitationduring the months of July and August of 196.6 to 243.5 mm. The phenotypeof the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Repeat blooming from last week of April to            mid November.        -   Plant habit.—Shrub, upright, densely branched, compact.        -   Height and spread.—Averaging 0.7 to 1 m in height and 1 m in            spread.        -   Cold hardiness.—Can be overwintered under natural conditions            in Beijing, China.        -   Diseases and pests.—Good resistance to fungal disease. Pest            resistance and susceptibility have not been observed.        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings and tissue culture.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Branch description:    -   -   Stem color.—Young and maturing; 144C suffused with 183D,            mature wood; 146A.        -   Stem surface.—Smooth, semi-glossy on new growth.        -   Stem size.—Average of 4 mm in width, up to 40 cm in length.        -   Internode.—Average of 5 cm.        -   Thorns.—12 per 10 cm of stem, 8 to 10 mm in length, 150C            suffused with 183D, present on new growth.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaves.—Division is odd-pinnate, arrangement is alternate,            average of 13.0 cm in length and 8.0 cm in width.        -   Leaflets.—Ranging from 3 to 7, most frequently 7, elliptic            in shape, obtuse base, acuminate apex, ciliate margins,            weakly crenulate, upper surface and lower surface            semi-glossy and glabrous, average of 5.0 cm in length and            2.5 cm in width, color: young upper surface; 144A, young            lower surface: 145A, mature upper surface; 139A, mature            lower surface; 138B.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, 183D in color on upper and lower surface.        -   Rachis.—Average of 8 cm in length and 1 to 1.5 mm in            diameter, surface smooth, color 138A suffused with 183D on            younger growth.        -   Stipules.—Broad base, curved inwards at point of attachment,            bifid apex, average of 15 mm in length and 10 mm in width,            color on upper side is 138A suffused with 183D on the center            of stipule, margins ciliate and crenulate.        -   Petioles.—Average of 1 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter,            surface glabrous, upper surface 139A suffused with 183D in            color, lower surface 137B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Typically corymbs of 3 to 7 single            flowers.        -   Flower number.—4 to 19 flowers per lateral stem.        -   Flower fragrance.—Moderately scented.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 3 to 5 days,            persistent.        -   Flower type.—Semi-double, round, held upright.        -   Flower size.—Average of 6 to 7 cm in diameter and 2 cm in            depth.        -   Peduncles.—Upright, an average of 3.0 cm in length and 1.0            cm in diameter, glabrous to sparsely pubescent surface, 138A            in color.        -   Bracts.—None observed.        -   Flower buds.—Narrowly ovate in shape, an average of 2.5 cm            in length and 1.0 cm in width prior to opening, 59D in            color.        -   Sepals.—6, lanceolate in shape, margins weakly foliaceous            appendages on 3 of the 6 sepals and stipitate glands,            average of 2.1 cm in length and 0.6 mm in width, acute apex,            truncate base fused with receptacle, upper surface tomentose            and 134C in color, lower surface glabrous and 134B in color.        -   Petals.—5 per flower, drop readily and cleanly, obcordate in            shape, upper and lower surface smooth, margin crenulate,            base broadly cuneate in shape, apex is rounded with indented            notch, average of 3.5 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width,            color: opening flowers upper surface; blend of 57A and 67A            suffused with 155D extending irregularly into the middle            region from petal spot, petal spot 155D, opening flowers            lower surface; a blend of 57A and 67C suffused with 155D            extending irregularly into the middle region from petal            spot, petal spot 155D, fully open flowers upper surface; a            blend of 57B and 67B suffused with 155D extending            irregularly into the middle region from petal spot, petal            spot 155D, lower surface; a blend of 57C and 67C suffused            with 155D extending irregularly into the middle region from            petal spot, petal spot 155D, color when fading upper and            lower surface; 68D and 68C.        -   Receptacle.—Average of 5 mm in diameter and 6 mm in depth            when flower is fully open, urned-shaped, glabrous surface,            149C in color.        -   Pistils.—About 30 per flower, 3 mm in length, stigma is an            average of 1 mm in length and 0.4 mm in width and 158B in            color, style is an average of 7 mm in length and 158C in            color, ovary is oblong in shape and 144C in color.        -   Stamens.—About 100 per flower, filaments are about 5 to 10            mm in length and 55C in color, anthers are an average of 2.0            mm in length and 12B in color, pollen is moderate in            quantity and near 12C in color.        -   Hips.—None were observed to form to date prior to the frost            date in Beijing, China.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of rose plant named ‘Te Qiao’ as hereinillustrated and described.